Aside from generally large thighs, most ladies either complain of saddle bags or fat inner thighs. The latter rubs when walking, resulting in chafing of the skin and hyperpigmentation. Saddle bags are the unsightly protrusions on the outside of the upper thighs. These distort the silouette and make it difficult for ladies to wear mini skirts or trousers.

Sometimes, the thighs are just generally fat, so no abnormal lumps of fat shout for contouring. The entire thigh needs to be reduced all over. Perhaps this situation is really normal? But as most ladies want to wear mini skirts, short shorts, and don’t want to look like they are exploding out of trousers, some form of reduction is often desired.

So leg liposculpture can simply be trimming off the saddle bags or inner thighs, or a complete circumferential revision of thigh shape. Thunder thighs can be changed to slender pins with leg liposculpture!

Recovery from leg liposculpture, especially if circumferential liposuction is performed can be tricky. There will be some degree of discomfort when sitting or getting up, especially when sitting on hard toilet seats! Water retention can be extreme, leading to swollen knees, ankles and feet. For traditional liposuction, bruising can last for several weeks! All in, mobility is affected to some degree, and clothes may feel tight before they become loose.

However, the degree of satisfaction is often huge after the recovery process is complete. Leg liposculpture is one operation that can totally change the types of clothes an individual is able to wear and wear well!

Hi Def Liposculpture refers to the use of the VASER technique to not only remove unwanted fat, but also create muscle definition. This gives the patient a lean, toned look, something many folks exercise hard to attain, but fail to achieve.

Most well known for the tummy area, Hi Def VASER not only reduces the fat in the abdomen and flanks, but also continues to thin out the skin over the rectus muscle lines, creating six-pack definition. It can also be used in the arms to define the deltoids, biceps and triceps.

Hugely popular all over the world now, this technique does involve more discomfort than standard VASER liposelection. Drains are also required, as is a special sponge suit that has to be worn under the normal compression garments.

However, most patients are delighted with the results of the procedure, as they can finally see the muscle definition that they’ve worked so hard but failed to see naturally.

Hi Def Liposculpture costs more than standard liposculpture as each procedure takes around six hours to perform! General anaesthesia is often required, as the operation is too uncomfortable when done under tumescent anaesthesia alone.

There are certainly pros and cons to this technique, and only you can decide if muscle definition is your ideal goal, and whether it justifies the additional cost, discomfort and downtime. Ironically, Hi Def Liposculpture is best for athletes, but can stop vigorous training for many weeks.

The tumescent technique has revolutionised fat reduction surgery. The infiltration of tumescent solution serves many purposes:

1. Numbing the tissues, so minimal intravenous sedation is required
2. Stops bleeding by constricting blood vessels in the area
3. Distends the tissues, allowing easier surgery

The tumescent fluid comprises local anaesthetic, epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate in normal saline. For more techniques, the volume infiltrated is equal to the anticipated fat extraction volume.

The solution is injected into the tissues by a high pressure delivery system. Generally, this is administered to the areas of operation only.

Although tumescent liposuction has greatly increased the safety of liposuction surgery, it does contain some inherent risks of its own, primarily related to its local anaesthetic component. To numb the area completely, large amounts of local anaesthetic are used. However, because it is administered with epinephrine, the local anaesthetic stays in the operative site, rather than goes into the circulation. As the epinephrine wears off some 12 hours after the surgery, the local anaesthetic can slowly be released into the circulation and taken to the liver for metabolism.

Occasionally, a large amount of local anaesthetic is absorbed into the circulation at one time. If this is over the safe dose, some toxicity reactions can be observed. These include timgling around the mouth, fingers, drowsiness and heart arrhythmias. These are fortunately rare.

In general, tumescent liposculpture is safe and greatly enhances the results of liposuction surgery.

Even if lack of jaw definition is not a major issue, excessive fat accummulation in the chin area can be. Shoud this increase in size, gravity often pulls the skin down, creating an unsightly overhang. It is important to catch the situation before it gets too bad. Once the skin is over-stretched, lipoosuction alone is inadequate. Skin excision surgery will be needed to cut off the extra skin.

Although all liposuction techniques can be used for facial liposculpture, it may be best to opt for one which combines skin tightening as well as fat reduction. Examples would be laser lipolysis (smart lipo) or ultrasound-assisted liposuction (VASER).

Laser lipolysis has the advantage in that should fat suction not be employed, recovery is swift, no facial compression is required, and the results are seen gradually over the following few months. Plus it has a skin tightening effect, so turkey neck results are less likely.

Liposculpture is rarely used above the jawline, as there are vital nerves and other structures in this area. Some doctors have used laser lipolysis to reduce the naso-labial folds through the skin tightening effect of the laser, or reduce eye bags by shining the laser straight into the pockets of fat under the eyes.

Done correctly, facial liposculpture can take years off by tightening and defining the jawline and chin areas, as well as removing excess fat from this region.

Once the tissues are numb and the adrenaline has caused the blood vessels to constrict, the surgery proceeds through tiny holes spaced at various points over the operation site.

A long, thin cannula is inserted, and the surgeons moves it backwards and forwards to suck the fat over the entire treatment area. A cross-hatch pattern is preferred, so each area is approached from 2 directions. This is thought to produce a more even result.

The fat is suctioned off into a bottle, where it slowly seperates. The top layer is pure fat, the bottom a mixture of blood and tumescent fluid. Initially, the fat comes out clean, but as treatment in one area progresses, there is often some degree of bleeding. Excessive bleeding is an indication to move to a different area, as there is often little fat remaining.

The surgeon keeps an eye on the contours as the operation proceeds, stopping and moving to the next section once the desired amount of fat has been removed. The final stage of the operation involves checking that the final result is even and pleasing.

Sometimes stitches are needed to close up the holes, and occasionally a drain may even be left behind.

As doctors from different backgrounds all offer liposuction services, prices tend to be highest amongst the plastic surgeons. Cosmetic surgeons often take the middle road, and general practitioners may drop their prices to earn on volume sales. Very often, non-plastic surgeons may even have more advanced technology than their Specialist counterparts!

Although it is tempting to call or e-mail a whole selection of clinics for quotations, for something like liposculpture, visiting and interviewing each doctor is probably more important than price alone. You may have a budget in mind, but don’t just go for the cheapest option. That may not be the best.

Besides seeing each doctor’s results (they really shown have a catalogue of their own patients’ results), there are a few questions you should ask:

1. Extent of operation
2. Liposuction technique
3. Aftercare provided
4. Where the operation is performed
5. Sedation or General Anaesthesia
6. Is there an Anesthesiologist around
7. How much fat is removed
8. Is one operation enough? Or is it staged?
9. Cost of operation
10. Cost of after-care
11. Costs involved if follow-up treatment is required

Very often, you’ll get a very cheap quote for the operation, then additional costs are added to take a bit more fat off in adjoining areas, or if only a small volume of fat can be removed, and a second procedure is needed.

In some countries, you may even get very cheap liposuction done by unregistered doctors in someone’s basement or in a spa.

So although cost may be an issue, it’s better to save up for a doctor who is able to deliver the standard of care, plus provide the results. Once you choose your doctor and have an indication of cost, you can always save up and have the operation at a later date.

Traditional Liposuction

This techniques uses negative pressure (vacuum suction) plus effort from the surgeon to suck out the fat. It can be an extremely traumatic procedure, resulting in significant swelling and bruising that can last for weeks.

Power Assisted Liposuction

This has a mechanised tip which nibbles away at the fat. The surgeon exerts little effort here. However, there is no distinguishing of fat from nerves or blood vessels.

Laser-Assisted Liposuction

This uses laser to melt the fat first. Some surgeons leave the fat inside the body, and this is absorbed out of the area over the following few weeks. Others will use suction to remove the fat immediately. The former is less traumatic. This technique can produce some skin tightening, but has limited effectiveness, removing about 250ml of fat only.

Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction

This technique uses ultrasound to melt the fat first, before the fat is sucked out. This is the first advance which both selectively removes large volumes of fat, as well as tightens the skin.

Waterjet-Assisted Liposuction

This technique uses a jet of water to flush out the fat. Also selective for fat, this technique produces little tissue trauma, hence recovery is very fast.

Radiofrequency-Assisted Liposuction

The latest development, this technique uses radiofrequency to melt the fat externally, with simultaneous suction of fat out internally. This technique is associated with the greatest degree of skin tightening.

Liposculpture is using liposuction to sculpt the body into a more pleasing shape. In other words, liposuction done well is effectively liposculpture. This is most obvious in thigh surgery, where sucking away every fat cell will have disastrous cosmetic results. So the surgeon effectively slims the treated area, plus produces a moe pleasing overall form: truly sculpting, which is an art.

Sculpting during liposuction surgery is not always easy, particularly since most forms of liposuction surgery involve tumescent infiltration to reduce bleeding. This engorges the tissues and can distort the overall form. Add in the fact that the patient is lying down, which causes shifting of fat lumps.

Waterjet Liposuction has the huge advantage of not using the tumescent technique. Infiltration is with enough local anaesthetic solution for tissue anaesthesia (and vasoconstriction to reduce bleeding). So the tissues are not engorged and distorted. Liposculpture is thus more accurate. Add in the fact that the procedure can be done under twilight sedation, this allows movement and turning. Although there is still some movement in the tissues, it does allow easier assessment intra-operatively when the patients can co-operate with commands.

It is used to described more cautious liposuction, where the primary goal is to produce the ideal contour that blends in with the rest of the body. Some people will undergo sequential liposuction to slowly change their entire physiques!

Liposculpture is particularly important for thigh liposuction, where a certain amount of residual fat is desirable. Discussing your desired end-result with your surgeon is very important, so that he can then know how to plan your operation.

For thigh liposculpture, some will be delighted with the removal of unsightly saddlebags or reducing inner thigh rubbing. However, other ladies will not be happy unless their legs look great in skinny jeans.

During the liposculpture procedure, an anaesthetic tumescent solution is injected into the target areas to distend the tissues, numb the skin and reduce bleeding. The surgeon then uses a vacuum system attached to a cannula to suck out the unwanted fat.

Prior to the procedure, the problem areas are carefully mapped out so he knows exactly what fat to remove. He also assesses fat thickness and contours during the surgery, continually checking that your desired shape is being achieved.

After the procedure, you will have to wear compression garments for a number of weeks to reduce swelling and aid skin contraction. This helps to reduce unevenness too.

Some degree of discomfort, swelling and bruising are to be expected. However, when you see your final result, I’m sure you will be delighted that you’ve been brave enough to go through with it!

The reality is that the rate of recovery can vary quite tremendously. And an individual’s personal mental attitude plays a huge role here.

Obviously larger operations will produce more pain, but two people having identical procedures can have completely different experiences.

If someone goes into the liposuction operation expecting to be in excruciating pain after the operation, that is most likely to be the case.

If someone expects no pain, on the other hand, he will be in a big shock after the operation!

The ideal situation is to expect some degree of discomfort, a reduction in mobility for a period of time, but be determined to continue with as many normal activities as possible, using pain killers as necessary.

Swelling is also common after liposuction surgery. Swelling can track down (with the force of gravity) to areas which were not operated on. For example, the knees and feet and swell up after thigh liposculpture. The swelling may persist for a number of weeks, making the compression garments uncomfortable, and joints less mobile. Lymphatic drainage massage is excellent for relieving swelling and speeding up recovery.

Bruising is also to be expected. This is less with the newer forms of liposuction, and they target fat more specifically than traditional tumescent liposuction, so less damage is done to nerves and blood vessels.